Ten minutes earlier, Egypt, Giza Province.
In the northeastern sector of the provincial metropolitan area, within a suburban industrial park adjacent to a city park, stood one of Heliopolis Life Sciences' production facilities in Giza Province.
The architectural style here was rather distinctive, blending science fiction aesthetics with traditional design. It possessed a certain artistic sensibility. Visually, its clean, steady geometric forms, clear symmetrical axes, and deep spatial layering complemented one another harmoniously.
Just like the Heliopolis Life Sciences branch in Arc City, influenced by the founder Jackal's personal tastes, the industrial district's buildings carried a strong Egyptian flavor...
Oh. This was Egypt. Never mind.
Still, there was undeniably an air reminiscent of a graveyard—almost as if the designs had taken inspiration from pharaohs' tombs. Coupled with the Seventeenth Legion God-Empress Preachers' occupation policy—gathering civilians at designated assembly points to listen to the Holy Testament personally authored by Lorgar—the entire area felt unsettling.
At this moment, the vast industrial park was devoid not only of people, but even of rats. It felt eerie and hollow, like a shadowy subterranean mausoleum.
The setting sun filtered through the layered gaps in the architecture.
Light and shadow tangled together in the air. On the ground and along the buildings, faint flames crackled softly as they burned.
Wreckage of mechs produced by World Serpent lay piled along the roads. Severed circuits twisted together. Craters left by bolt weapons, molten gouges carved by plasma fire, and the honeycomb scars of laser weapons littered the surroundings.
They tangled together, forming layers of obstacles.
Tak—tak—tak—
Scattered yet orderly footsteps echoed up from beneath the northern administrative building of the industrial park.
"Report: A large-scale firefight site discovered in Basement Level 1, Zone D. Numerous mech wrecks and human soldier corpses on scene. Based on wound analysis, the fatalities were caused by Astartes Angels!"
"Report: Nothing found on Basement Level 2."
"Report: Several corpses found on Basement Level 3. Deceased for over ten hours. Presumed from the first sweep... Hmm. Suicide?"
In the vast underground space, intermittent gunshots reverberated loudly through the air. Yet the massive structure itself remained utterly still, like a slumbering beast.
"Leave necessary sentries on each level—both overt and covert. The rest of you, follow me. New discovery: Basement Level 4."
Tactical boots struck the smooth concrete floor with crisp sounds.
A mixed squad of Imperial Auxilia and Servitor Army troops stood within the bunker of Basement Level 4 beneath the administrative building.
Passing through a blasted-open heavy alloy door, they found that, compared to the previous levels, this one appeared far newer and better maintained. The surrounding lighting was brighter and more sufficient.
However, the moment they stepped inside—
"Holy shit!"
Even as hardened soldiers, a chill crept up their spines.
Because the fourth level was entirely different from what they had seen before. Before them stood rows upon rows of glass cultivation tanks. And what they contained was enough to make one's scalp crawl.
Various severed body parts—brains, limbs, hearts, internal organs—human, animal, and even those of Honkai Beasts.
Yes. Higher-tier Honkai Beasts were composed directly of Honkai energy. But lower-tier Honkai Beasts were silicon-based lifeforms. They could be dissected, captured, and preserved.
It was precisely through their existence—and long-term research into the structures of Honkai Beasts and the undead—that Jackal had produced large numbers of synthetic monsters.
Inside the glowing blue cultivation tanks lay slumbering lumps of flesh—grotesque hybrids born from the fusion of humans and Honkai Beasts. No matter how steady the nerves of these Auxilia and Servitor soldiers, their stomachs churned at the sight.
If it were merely corpses—even mutilated ones—they would not have cared. They could sit beside them and eat without issue. But this scene was different.
The isolated organs were still alive.
Soaked in nutrient solution and connected to tubular apparatuses, the viscera continued to twitch.
"Oh, by our God-Empress... Anyone entangled with World Serpent truly deserves extermination."
Although the Imperial Science Bureau's chief, Dr. Stylish, was a madman of similar caliber—and the Empire hardly had the moral high ground to judge others—Dr. Stylish had already been "reformed" by Selene. The soldiers did not know the details.
Hypocritical as it might be: When we do it, it's safe science. When you do it, it's barbaric desecration.
"Notify the Astartes Lords. Let them decide. A place like this should be purged by fire."
They were soldiers, after all. Once the initial shock passed, they steadied themselves and refocused on the mission at hand.
They quickly moved through the corridor formed by the rows of glass tanks.
Beyond them lay what appeared to be a laboratory rest area. Wooden furniture, glass tableware, and carpets rich with Egyptian motifs suggested that its owner had refined taste. Yet among it all, a load-bearing pillar toward the northern side of the workshop stood out—far larger than it should have been.
At present, the entire wall was in shambles. Digital screens lay shattered. Concrete rubble was scattered everywhere. The wall had been violently broken open, revealing an alloy door hidden within.
From the exposed edges—visible rollers and mechanisms—it was clear that the wall itself had once been a concealed structure, meant to provide at least some measure of camouflage.
"Talk about self-deception..."
The Imperial Auxilia officer leading the squad—a man with a small tactical bolt pistol and plasma pistol at his waist, wearing a peaked cap—studied the heavy alloy door calmly.
"This isn't a bunker. It's someone's private domain. Basement Level 4 was their relaxation space."
"Maybe some high-ranking executive of Heliopolis Life Sciences' little secret."
He gestured toward the door.
"Use a melta charge. Directional micro-detonation. Breach it."
"Yes, sir!"
The gathered soldiers withdrew, taking cover behind load-bearing pillars in the workshop. Once the soldier planting the charge retreated and gave the 'OK' signal, the officer nodded and pressed the detonator.
Clack—BOOM!
A blinding burst of sparks erupted from the center of the alloy door. A circular breach roughly four meters in diameter was blasted open. Molten metal dripped onto the floor, bubbling as it fell.
A concealed stairway revealed itself beyond.
"To think there's another hidden area beneath the administrative building. Either a shelter—or a research facility..."
With a wave of his hand, the officer signaled the soldiers forward. They stepped inside, switching on tactical flashlights.
"Clear!"
"Sir, this appears to be an elevator."
"An elevator? A research institute, then? Move!"
Decisive as ever, the officer led the squad onward while issuing orders.
"There's definitely something here. Report it up the chain. Possible discovery of a World Serpent research installation."
At the center of the elevator shaft, there was no attempt at concealment anymore. The Heliopolis Life Sciences insignia was gone.
In its place was the emblem of a coiled rattlesnake.
The founder of Heliopolis Life Sciences—Jackal—was a senior executive of World Serpent. This fact was already known throughout the Seventeenth Legion God-Empress Preachers.
After all, once Jackal's trail had been discovered, Legion Commander Lorgar had descended from outer space in a blaze of momentum. Everyone knew that any achievement related to World Serpent meant military merit.
Who would have thought that their small detachment, tasked merely with sweeping the corners, would stumble upon such fortune?
Beep—beep—beep—
They activated the elevator controls. Instantly, the platform began descending at high speed.
No one knew how long it traveled. When it finally came to a halt, almost simultaneously, beneath the underground laboratory, an even older human construction came into view.
Another symbol?!
...Are you stacking dolls here?
First, Heliopolis Life Sciences' industrial park. Inside it, a World Serpent laboratory. And now, at the very bottom, yet another emblem—a massive moth.
Shouldn't it be World Serpent's insignia? Where the hell did this one come from?
This stone gate appeared to have been constructed long ago. Many sections had been carved directly along the natural terrain, rather than built downward from above. It was almost as if the Heliopolis Life Sciences industrial park had been deliberately erected atop this ancient structure.
Moreover, its walls were covered in overlapping geometric patterns. "A cat?" If the interwoven shapes were enlarged, they resembled a certain animal.
"All personnel! Combat readiness!"
"Yes, sir!"
...
The perspective shifted back to ten minutes later.
Rumble—
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Thick, continuous crimson laser beams interwoven with bolt rounds erupted forward in a barrage, tearing apart buildings along their path. Rubble cascaded down in torrents.
"You guys are so annoying! If you push me too far, I'm going to start hitting back!"
Rolling and leaping agilely between high-rises, the girl—(a girl of fifty thousand years?)—complained loudly.
She had wavy brown hair and a pair of brown cat ears atop her head. When she opened her mouth, small fangs peeked between her lips. Her fair skin glowed with healthy warmth.
Her features were delicate, tinged with a touch of animalistic wildness that formed a beauty beyond the ordinary. Most striking of all were her heterochromatic eyes—blue on the left, green on the right—clear and brilliant like gemstones.
She wore a teal outfit that exposed more than it concealed, black long boots with white soles, and a white hooded cloak draped over her shoulders.
Her answer came swiftly—
Zrrrng!
"Whoa! That was close!"
With a jump pack strapped to his back, a warrior of the God-Empress Preachers descended from the sky, swinging his chainsword. With a sharp krak, the whirring teeth bit into the spot where the girl had just been, slicing as smoothly as through butter.
The chainsword drove deep into the reinforced concrete of the skyscraper—down to the hilt. Carried by gravity and acceleration, it carved a trench dozens of meters long.
"You were the ones who picked a fight with me first! Why do I have to run like I'm the guilty one?" Pardofelis grumbled.
She had only just awakened from her cryo-pod. Her "home" was blown apart the next instant. Then a group of fierce-looking brutes stormed in, shoving weapons in her face.
What was she supposed to do?
With no other choice, she relied on her nimble and unpredictable movements to toy with them, making a stylish escape. She could hardly wait to see what the world had become.
And then—well, there was no "then."
Those burly, thick-browed men, who looked so imposing, actually called in their "parents" when they couldn't win!
When she burst out above ground, instead of bright sunshine, she was greeted by a "wall" and the roaring of bolt rounds.
A group of heavily armored little giants descended from the sky, weapons raised, shouting "Die, xenos!" as they tried to kill her without hesitation.
And as she fled, the number of pursuers only increased. They were everywhere—above and below.
"Ahhh! Why is this happening?!" Pardofelis wailed.
Her toned legs bent against a building's wall, halting her momentum for a fraction of a second. The next instant, her muscles coiled and released, propelling her in a longer stride.
In a flash, her speed surged again, widening the gap between herself and the pursuing Astartes.
As the last-ranked of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, bearing the Signet of Reverie, Pardofelis always claimed she was the weakest of the Flame-Chasers. She slacked off, skipped missions, and spent her days idling.
But no matter how one looked at it—well—she was probably second from the bottom at worst. Surely stronger than Griseo, who had still been a child.
Moreover, as a MANTIS infused with the DNA of a feline-type Honkai Beast, Pardofelis might lack frontal assault capability and destructive output. Yet the agility, reflexes, and fluidity unique to cats made her the slipperiest existence among the Flame-Chasers.
Just like her personality.
"Damn it! It's like this xenos can predict our movements. She's too fast—we can't catch her. If we don't use high-damage weaponry, we can't land a hit!"
Without overwhelming power—and forbidden from deploying heavy, high-destruction weapons—ordinary Astartes, even equipped with jump packs, struggled to keep up with Pardofelis' complex and agile maneuvers when she chose to flee.
The Flame-Chasers were strong. That was beyond doubt.
But why had Kevin and Raiden Mei been beaten so miserably?
Take a look at who their opponents were. Was that even comparable?
"We cannot use them. Did you forget General Alex's orders? The Legion Commander has reiterated time and again—our Seventeenth Legion must absolutely obey every will of Her Majesty."
"Squad leaders, where's the Company Commander?"
"The Second Company Commander recently went to Cairo for preaching. The Fifth Company Commander went to Rome... Yes, he's in the Vatican right now. The squad leaders are clearing out Heliopolis Life Sciences' headquarters."
"Then where's the Legion Commander?!"
"Uh... after dealing with Jackal, the Legion Commander went to Jerusalem."
With jump packs roaring on their backs, the warriors of the Seventeenth Legion found themselves momentarily at a loss.
Giza Province had already undergone one sweep. There were no large-scale resistance forces remaining—this had been confirmed by the legion's soul-searchers.
Heliopolis Life Sciences and World Serpent's hidden forces in Egypt had either been eradicated or were in the process of eradication.
As such, only a portion of Astartes had remained to maintain order. The command staff were all busy—most were presiding over preaching assemblies among gathered civilians.
Secondary and tertiary city sweeps had been delegated to the Imperial Auxilia and Servitor Army, with Astartes providing strategic support.
Who could have known that Pardofelis would pop up from underground at this exact moment—right in the middle of a perfect command vacuum?
Thud!
Amid shattered debris, Pardofelis spun 180 degrees and landed smoothly. Lifting her head, her heterochromatic beast eyes flashed with barely restrained irritation.
"Well then... don't blame me."
Before the airborne God-Empress Preacher could react, a claw formed from condensed Honkai energy lashed out.
"A cat's claw?"
With that fleeting thought, the Astartes was sent crashing into a nearby building, blasting out a spray of shattered glass.